Field burning apparatus

ABSTRACT

Field-burning apparatus including a frame supported for movement along a path over a field which may be covered with combustible material (such as the stubble remaining after a hay field has been mown). Mounted on the frame is a power-driven, rotatable clearing element which is operable to clear combustible material to produce a firebreak extending along the path and to throw cleared material to one side of the firebreak. A hood trails the clearing element and covers a region to the side of the firebreak to which material is thrown by the clearing element. A gas-fired torch ignites material under the hood, and a power-operated blower forces air into the region under the hood to provide greater than ambient oxygen to produce substantially complete combustion with minimal smoke.

Hammon Apr. 23, 1974 1 1 FIELD BURNING APPARATUS [76] Inventor: Archie F. Hammon, 2200 E. 29th,

Eugene, Oreg. 97403 [22] Filed: Nov. 17, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 307,383

[5 6] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,957,290 5/1934 Railing 110/19 X 1,458,070 6/1923 Long et a1 47/l.44 1,571,481 2/1926 Kasmeir 47/l.44 1,799,035 3/1931 Benien et a1... 126/2712 C 2,694,393 11/1954 Simpson..... 126/2712 C 2,920,433 l/1960 Brady 56/504 X 2,987,868 6/1961 Cunningham 56/504 3,362,397 1/1968 Murphy 126/2712 A 3,698,380 10/1972 Cook 126/271.2 A

Primary Examiner-William F. ODea Assistant Examiner-Peter D. Ferguson Attorney, Agent, or FirmK olisch, Hartwell & Dickinson [57] ABSTRACT Field-burning apparatus including a frame supported for movement along a path over a field which may be covered with combustible material (such as the stubble remaining after a hay field has been mown). Mounted on the frame is a power-driven, rotatable clearing element which is operable to clear combustible material to produce a firebreak extending along the path and to throw cleared material to one side of the firebreak. A hood trails the clearing element and covers a region to the side of the firebreak to which material is thrown by the clearing element. A gas-fired torch ignites material under the hood, and a poweroperated blower forces air into the region under the hood to provide greater than ambient oxygen to produce substantially complete combustion with minimal smoke.

16 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures FIELD BURNING APPARATUS SUMMARY AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION for igniting and burning combustible material to one side of the firebreak with excess oxygen provided for producing substantially complete combustion with minimal smoke.

Agricultural lands often are cleared of stubble and other combustible materials by open burning of the fields. The smoke from such open burning produces air pollution problems and thus is coming under severe restrictions in many locales.

A general object of the present invention is to provide novel apparatus for burning combustible materials on fields with minimal smoke being produced.

Another object is to provide novel field-burning apparatus which .is economically constructed and which is simple to operate.

A further object is to provide field-burning apparatus which is operable to produce a firebreak in a line extending along a path over the field. Means for igniting combustible material on the field trails the means for producing the firebreak and thus a fire produced may be contained on one side of a desired line.

Yet another object is to provide novel field-burning apparatus which includes means for igniting combustible material in a field an means for providing excess oxygen to the ignited material to produce high temperature, and thus substantially complete, combustion.

Still another object is to provide. such field-burning apparatus in which the firebreak-producing means includes elongated, hingedly connected flail members which are rotated under power into engagement with the ground to clear material therefrom and to throw cleared materials to one side of the firebreak. Such hingedly connected members will clear relatively loose material from the ground, but will swing away from tightly imbedded solid objects (such as boulders). This minimizes the chance that the clearing members may be damaged in operation.

More specifically, an object is to provide novel fieldburning apparatus including elongated hingedly connected flail members rotatable under power to produce a firebreak along a line in the field, with ignition means and oxygen supply means trailing the firebreakproducing means for igniting and producing substantially complete combustion of material to one side of the firebreak. The apparatus also includes a hood extending to one side of the firebreak line and covering the region ignited and supplied excess oxygen. The hood, ignition means, and an exhaust for the oxygen supply are mounted for swinging between a first position extending to one side of the firebreak and a second position extending to the opposite side of the firebreak, permitting burning on either side of the firebreak line.

DRAWINGS I These and other objects and advantages will become more fully apparent as the following description is read in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of field-burning appara tus constructed according to an embodiment of the invention being towed by a tractor;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view, on an enlarged scale, of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken generally along the line 3-3 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a view taken generally along the line 4-4 in FIG. 2.

. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Referring now to the drawings, and first more specifically to FIG. 1, at 10 is indicated generally fieldburning apparatus according to the invention, secured in towing position to a tractor 12. The tractor and apparatus are illustrated positioned for movement in the direction of arrow 14 along a path over a field of stubble which remains following mowing of grass or other agricultural products.

Describing apparatus 10 in detail, it' includes a frame having a pair of laterally spaced side rails 16, 18 which are secured adjacent their forward set of ends to lugs at the rear end of the tractor. The rear ends of side rails 16, 18 are supported by a single swivel-mounted wheel 22.-A screw-adjustable device 24 is operable to elevate or lower the rear ends of the side rails, with the wheel providing rolling support therefor.

An oper-bottomed, box-like housing 30 extends between and is secured to side rails l6, 18. An elongated shaft 32, having a plurality of spaced-apart hubs 34 secured thereon, is journaled for rotation in the housing. The shaft is disposed substantially horizontal, as shown in FIG. 2, with its axis extending substantially parallel to the center line of the tractor.

A plurality of elongated chains 40 are hingedly connected at one set of their ends in circumferentially spaced positions to each of hubs 34' (see FIGS. 2 and 4). The chains are referred to herein also as clearing elements or flail members.

Shaft 32 is operatively connected, through a drive shaft 44, to a conventional rotatable power takeoff 46 at the rear end of the tractor which is driven by the tractor engine.

Operation of power takeoff 46 produces rotation of shaft 32 and hubs 34, with chains 40 extending outwardly from. the hubs, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. Screw adjustment device 24 may be adjusted to position shaft 32 at such an elevation that when the apparatus is pulled along a path by the tractor ane the chains are rotated they clear stubble along a line and produce a shallow ditch to produce a firebreak, as illustrated at 50,

' extending in a line along the path of movement of the apparatus.

A transmission, shown schematically at 52, is interposed between drive shaft 44 and shaft 32 for selectively changing the direction of rotation of the chains. The arrows in FIG. 4 indicate that the chains are rotating in a counterclockwise direction to throw cleared materials to the right in FIG. 4 and toward the viewer in FIG. 2. Reversing of transmission 52 operates to produce rotation of the chains in the opposite direction to throw cleared materials to the left in FIG. 4 and away from the viewer in FIG. 2.

Mounted atop housing 30 is a high-velocity air blower 60, also referred to herein as a compressor. Ro-

tative power is transmitted from drive shaft 44 to the blower through a drive belt 62, a right-angle gear box 64 and a drive belt 66.

An elongated, rigid pipe 70 extends horizontally rearwardly from the outlet side of blower 60, and is supported by a brace 72 adjacent its rear end. Pipe 70 is connected, through a swivel coupling 76, to an exhaust manifold 78. Secured to the lower end of manifold 78 are interconnected exhaust pipes 80, 82 and 84. Pipe 82 is positioned to ride in the firebreak 50 produced by operation of chains 40, and pipes 80, 84 extend horizontally outwardly at a substantial angle relative to pipe 82 to one side of the firebreak line (see FIGS. 2 and 3).

An elongated, arcuate hood 88 is secured along its opposite edges to exhaust pipes 80, 84 and covers the region bounded by the exhaust pipes. The end of the hood adjacent manifold 78 is closed off by a wall 90 while its other end is open. A plurality of holes, or ports, 92 extend through the inwardly facing walls of exhaust pipes 80, 82, 84. Actuation of blower 60 is operable to direct air under greater-than-atmospheric pressure through pipe 70, manifold 78 and outwardly through the ports of exhaust pipes 80, 82, 84 to the region covered by hood 88. This then supplies a greater than ambient quantity of oxygen to the region covered by the hood.

A pair of gas-fired torches 94, 96 mounted on wall 90 are directed toward the interior of the hood on opposite sides of manifold 78. Flexible gas supply lines 100 connect burners-94, 96 with a tank of compressed gas,

such as propane or butane, 102 mounted on housing 30.

One end of hood 88, manifold 78, and exhaust pipes 80, 82, 84 are supported on pipe 70 through rotatable coupling 76. The opposite end of hood 88 is supported by a guy line 106 which is secured at one of its ends adjacent the outer end of the hood and at its other end to a swivel connection 108 atop a support post 110 secured, as by welding, to the top of pipe 70.

A tether line 112 is secured at one of its ends adjacent the outer end of hood 88 and is releasably secured adjacent its other end to pipe 70 in a regionforwardly of post 110.

With tether line 112 released, hood 88, manifold 78, exhaust pipes 80, 82, 84, and torches 94, 96 may be swung about the vertical axisprovided by coupling 76 from the position shown in FIG. 1, extending laterally outwardly to one side of the path for the apparatus, to another position extending outwardly in an opposite direction, laterally of the path for the apparatus. The hood, manifold, exhaust pipes and torches thus are swingable to opposite sides of pipe 70.

Explaining the operation of the apparatus with the same in the position shown in the figures, the power takeoff on the tractor is operated to rotate the chains as illustrated in FIG. 4 to produce a firebreak, such as that indicated at 50, and throw cleared material to the side of the apparatus nearest the viewer in FIGS. 1 and 2. Another firebreak formed by a prior pass of the apparatus is indicated at 114 in FIGS. 1 and 3. Torch 96 is ignited to produce an ignition flame under hood 88. The apparatus then is pulled by the tractor along a line paralleling previously formed firebreak 1 14, with hood 88 extending to a position overlying firebreak 114. As the tractor and apparatus progress across the field, a firebreak 50 is produced in the stubble material. Torch 96 ignites the stubble material under hood 88. Air supplied thereto under pressure from blower and exhaust pipes 80, 82, 84 produces intense heat'under the hood and relatively smoke-free burning of stubble occurs. The speed at which the tractor draws the apparatus over the field is dictated by the amount of combustible material to be burned on the field. Generally, where the material to be burned from the field is dry stubble remaining following mowing of the field the apparatus may be moved at a speed equal to about a slow walk speed.

After the apparatus completes a burning pass in one direction over a field, the apparatus and tractor are turned around, line 112 is released, and the hood, manifold, exhaust pipes and torches are swung to the opposite side of blower pipe 70, and tether line 112 is again secured. Chains 40 then are caused to rotate in the direction opposite to that shown in FIG. 4. In this way, the apparatus may move back over the field to burn a strip directly adjacent the strip between firebreaks 50, 1 14.

Using such apparatus to produce a firebreak and to provide excess oxygen to a fire produced under the hood, it has been found that relatively smoke-free burning may be achieved, with the fire produced being contained in the strip being worked.

While a specific embodiment of the invention has been described herein, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that variations and modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

' It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. Field-burning apparatus movable along a path over a field comprising means operable to produce a firebreak extending along said path including a rotatable clearing element and means for rotating said clearing element to clear combustible material in a line along the path and to throw such material into said region adjacent the path, ignition means mounted in a position trailing said firebreak producing means for igniting combustible material in a region adjacent and laterally to one side of said firebreak, and l a means for supplying greater than ambient quantities of oxygen to said region to aid in producing substantially complete combustion of material ignited.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said firebreak producing means comprises a rotatable hub and said clearing element comprises an elongated flail member hingedly connected adjacent one of its ends to the hub.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said flail member comprises an elongated chain.

4. Field-burning apparatus movable along a path over a field comprising means operable to produce a firebreak extending along said path,

ignition means mounted in a position trailing said a hood mounted in a position to overlie said region as the apparatus is moved along said path.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said oxygen sup ply means comprises exhaust means in said hood having openings therein directed toward the interior of the hood.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said oxygen supply means further comprises a power-operated air blower and air supply conduit means interconnecting the output of said blower and said exhaust means through which air may be supplied from the blower to the exhaust means. I

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said hood has laterally spaced, opposed sides and said exhaust means includes exhaust tubes extending along said sides with ports spaced there-along opening toward the interior of the hood.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, which further comprises journal means mounting said hood and ignition means for swinging between a first position extending to'one side of said path and a second position extending to the opposite side of said path.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said firebreak producing means comprises a rotatable hub, an elongated flail member hingedly connected adjacent one of its ends to said hub, and means for rotating the same about the axis of the hub in either of reverse directions.

10. Field-burning apparatus comprising a frame supported for movement'along a path over a field, a power-operated clearing element mounted on said frame for rotation under power to clear combustible material along a line extending along said path said clearing element for igniting combustible material in a region adjacent and to said one side of said line,

oxygen supply means operable to supply greater than ambient quantities of oxygen to said region to aid in producing substantially complete combustion of material ignited, and

a hood extending to said one side of the path over said region of ignition and oxygen supply.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said clearing element comprises a rotatable hub and an elongated flail member hingedly connected adjacent one of its ends to the hub.

. 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said flail member comprises an elongated chain.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said oxygen supply means comprises exhaust means in said hood having openings therein directed toward the interior of the hood. 7

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said oxygen supply means further comprises a'poweroperated air blower and conduit means interconnecting the output of the blower andsaid exhaust means. through which air under pressure may be supplied from the blower to the exhuast means.

15. The apparatus of claim 10,. which further comprises journal means mounting said hood and ignitionmeans for swinging between a first position extending to one side of said path and a second position extending to the opposite side of said path. a

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said firebreak producing means comprises a rotatable hub, an elongated flail member hingedly connected adjacent one of its endsto the hub, and means for rotating the same about'the axis of the hub selectively in either of reverse directions. 

1. Field-burning apparatus movable along a path over a field comprising means operable to produce a firebreak extending along said path including a rotatable clearing element and means for rotating said clearing element to clear combustible material in a line along the path and to throw such material into said region adjacent the path, ignition means mounted in a position trailing said firebreak producing means for igniting combustible material in a region adjacent and laterally to one side of said firebreak, and means for supplying greater than ambient quantities of oxygen to said region to aid in producing substantially complete combustion of material ignited.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said firebreak producing means comprises a rotatable hub and said clearing element comprises an elongated flail member hingedly connected adjacent one of its ends to the hub.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said flail member comprises an elongated chain.
 4. Field-burning apparatus movable along a path over a field comprising means operable to produce a firebreak extending along said path, ignition means mounted in a position trailing said firebreak producing means for igniting combustible material in a region adjacent and laterally to one side of said firebreak, means for supplying greater than ambient quantities of oxygen to said region to aid in producing substantially complete combustion of material ignited, and a hood mounted in a position to overlie said region as the apparatus is moved along said path.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said oxygen supply means comprises exhaust means in said hood having openings therein directed toward the interior of the hood.
 6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said oxygen supply means further comprises a power-operated air blower and air supply conduit means interconnecting the output of said blower and said exhaust means through which air may be supplied from the blower to the exhaust means.
 7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said hood has laterally spaced, opposed sides and said exhaust means includes exhaust tubes extending along said sides with ports spaced there-along opening toward the interior of the hood.
 8. The apparatus of claim 4, which further comprises journal means mounting said hood and ignition means for swinging between a first position extending to one side of said path and a second position extending to the opposite side of said path.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said firebreak producing means comprises a rotatable hub, an elongated flail member hingedly connected adjacent one of its ends to said hub, and means for rotating the same about the axis of the hub in either of reverse directions.
 10. Field-burning apparatus comprising a frame supported for movement along a path over a field, a power-operated clearing element mounted on said frame for rotation under power to clear combustible material along a line extending along said path and to throw such cleared material laterally toward one side of said path, ignition means mounted on said frame rearwardly of said clearing element for igniting combustible material In a region adjacent and to said one side of said line, oxygen supply means operable to supply greater than ambient quantities of oxygen to said region to aid in producing substantially complete combustion of material ignited, and a hood extending to said one side of the path over said region of ignition and oxygen supply.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said clearing element comprises a rotatable hub and an elongated flail member hingedly connected adjacent one of its ends to the hub.
 12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said flail member comprises an elongated chain.
 13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said oxygen supply means comprises exhaust means in said hood having openings therein directed toward the interior of the hood.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said oxygen supply means further comprises a power-operated air blower and conduit means interconnecting the output of the blower and said exhaust means through which air under pressure may be supplied from the blower to the exhuast means.
 15. The apparatus of claim 10, which further comprises journal means mounting said hood and ignition means for swinging between a first position extending to one side of said path and a second position extending to the opposite side of said path.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said firebreak producing means comprises a rotatable hub, an elongated flail member hingedly connected adjacent one of its ends to the hub, and means for rotating the same about the axis of the hub selectively in either of reverse directions. 